


Four, Ten and the Duke

by TheGirlWithBrightEyes



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 15th Century, Disappearances, Face Origin, Italy, Mistaken Identity, Royalty, Serial: s086 The Masque of Mandragora, Startup of new story, Time Travel, fragment, help needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21987472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGirlWithBrightEyes/pseuds/TheGirlWithBrightEyes
Summary: Ten and Donna end up in 15th century Italy, where a familiar face reside. Cue an adventure with identity mixups, shooting stars and a missing Duchess.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 1





	Four, Ten and the Duke

**Author's Note:**

> \-----------------------------------Help needed!--------------------------------------
> 
> I started this story but ran into trouble after having written the beginning, because I don't know how the story will continue from here on! I need some help to be able to write a continuation - anything from ideas to snippets or chapters would be much welcome! Ideally the story would proceed in the same sort of atmosphere as The Masque of Mandragora.
> 
> Idea 1:  
> Zygons are involved and the Duchess has been taken and replaced. She turns up shortly after the Doctor and Donna but is acting strangely. She also seems to be looking for something, which turns out to be connected to the shooting stars.

"Hm..."

"What is it?" Donna walked around the console to stand by the Doctor's shoulder, looking at him rather than the display. Gallifreyan never translated after all so what was the use? He was staring at the display with a serious expression on his face. "Where are we?" He twitched slightly before drawing a breath, pursing his lips.

"15th century, Italy," he quipped without taking his eyes off the display. "Hold on," he said, then set off toward the doors. Donna having none of that hurried after him. As she stepped out, she realised they were standing in a sort of medieval cobbled street, the Doctor looking this way and that. "Yeah, thought so..."he muttered, looking rather uncomfortable. As Donna came up beside him, he added 'I've been here before' without elaborating.

"Is that a problem?" Donna asked, looking around at the people minding their own business. "It seems peaceful enough." The Doctor puffed then grimaced.

"Yeah, well, that would be because - "he started, but was cut off by a guard.

"Your Grace!" the guard called. "Is something the matter?" Donna raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who uncomfortably scratched his neck as he eyed the guard.

"Actually I'm not the duke," he said. "I just happen to look like him. How is he these days, by the way?" he added quickly, breezing over the part of similarities in an attempt to set the guard off. Getting more curious by the second, Donna had a hard time not speaking up.

"Oh, my apologies your Grace," the guard said, apparently not convinced but playing along and doing a poor job of it. "His Grace Giuliano is troubled at the moment, but we feel confident that he will see us through all hardships with his wisdom." The Doctor seemed to struggle with himself slightly at this.

"What-what kind of trouble?" he asked in feigned casualness, surprising the poor guard. The man looked rather nervous all of a sudden.

"Why, the troubles with her grace Duchess' disappearance," he said. "And the strange rumours from up North." The Doctor stood back, now looking rather alarmed.

"Disappearance?" he echoed. "And what rumours, exactly?" The guard lowered his voice, looking around.

"Shooting stars and slain cattle," he said, looking very anxious. The Doctor grimaced, rubbing a hand over his face.

"All right. Can you tell his Grace that 'the Doctor' would like to see him?" he said, waving the confused man off. Donna walked around the Doctor to look him in the eye as the guard hurried off.

"What's going on?" she asked, and the Doctor grabbed her arm, pulling her inside the TARDIS again and closing the door. He was leaning very close looking very serious.

"Donna. When a Time Lord regenerates their new faces are not random," he said. "And you are about to meet the man who's face this comes from," he motioned toward himself. "I met him in an earlier regeneration. The fourth, I think. To him it may have been a few years - seen as he has married and all - but it's been considerably longer for me..."At this, there was a knock on the TARDIS door and the Doctor cricked his neck. "Here goes nothing...this will be awkward." He swung the door open, expecting to see Giuliano - but it wasn't him standing outside knocking.

"Marco?" he said in surprise, the startled man staring at him with a slack jaw. He looked extremely confused. "Excellent. Are you coming to bring me to Giuliano?" He stepped out, Donna right behind him. "Marco?" The man started.

"Right..."he managed, leading the way up to the castle in silence, clearly trying to sort out what was going on. No one tried to stop them at the gates, unsurprisingly, and they were led all the way up to Giuliano's private rooms. Marco stopped just outside them, looking at the Doctor.

"Thank you, Marco. I apologise for the confusion," the Doctor said rather cheerfully. "It will get worse right now though. But it's all right. I will explain everything." He then surged forward and opened the door.

As the man by the writing desk looked up, time seemed to stop. Donna stared at him, then back at the Doctor. The man behind the desk was different in haircut and clothes, of course, but otherwise the spitting image of the Doctor, who was standing with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Then the man - duke Giuliano - stood up, walking around the desk until he came up face to face with the Doctor.

"Why...they told me the Doctor wanted to see me," Giuliano said slowly, frowning. _His voice is different_ , Donna thought vaguely. The Doctor nodded.

"Yup. And that's me. I know - new face. Same man who helped you get rid of the Helix energy utilized by the Brethren of Demnos. How many years has it been, now?" Giuliano, still rather bewildered shook his head.

"Seven," he supplied faintly. "But how can a man choose a new face? And why...the uncanny resemblance?" he asked, motioning Marco to come in and close the door. "I had a feeling you were a remarkable man, Doctor, but this?" The Doctor drew a deep breath, looking briefly up before meeting Giuliano's eyes.

"I never really did tell you who I am besides the Doctor," he said. "And I am sorry about that. But I am no man - I am a Time Lord, and when I die...I change my face," he explained, pausing slightly to let that information sink in. Giuliano looked quite light headed. "As to why you?" he gave Giuliano a crooked smile. "You are a good man, Giuliano. A _very_ good man."

"Thank you," Giuliano murmured faintly, then shook his head with a shudder, moving back behind his desk. He looked tired. "Very well," he said slowly, as if he was trying very hard to accept what he'd just been told. "Last time I saw you, destruction was upon us. Why are you here now? The Helix is not back, is it?" he said worriedly. The Doctor looked thoughtful.

"No. It will be some centuries yet. I'm not quite sure why I am here, but I was told by your guards that you may need my help. I could not simply walk away when an old friend is in need." Giuliano nodded, deflating slightly as he rubbed his temples.

"So you have heard, then?" he said wearily. "To be frank, Doctor, I am at my wits end. We still don't know what is causing the cattle deaths, other than some kind of fire. And now my wife..."he paused with a pained look on his face. "My wife has not returned from a stay at a noble's country house, and we have not been able to reach the house. None of my carriers have returned. I am beginning to suspect foul play." The Doctor nodded gravely as he listened, arms coming up akimbo as Giuliano fell silent.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked, a deep frown marring his features.

"Three weeks since the first sightings of what appears to be shooting stars," Giuliano said, his hands fisted on his desk. "One week since we last had word from the Duchess and the travel should only have taken a day."


End file.
